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BY-LAWS 

of the 

Lowell Historical Society 



ARTICLE I. 

NAME AND PURPOSE. 

The Lowell Historical Society is formed for 
the purpose of collecting and preserving books, 
manuscripts, records and objects of antiquarian 
and historical interest ; of encouraging the study 
of local history ; of maintaining a library ; and of 
publishing from time to time whatever may illus- 
trate and perpetuate the history of Lowell and 
adjacent towns. 

ARTICLE II. 

TITLE TO PROPERTY. '^ 

Section 1. All books, maps, manuscripts, 
newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets; all pic- 
tures, paintings, and works of art; all relics and 
other objects of antiquarian and historical inter- 
est received by this corporation (excepting such 
articles as may be loaned to it) shall be received 



and held by it upon this trust and confidence, 
that in the event of its membership being reduced 
to five, or in the event of its dissolution, such of 
its personal property as above described shall in 
either of said events become the property of the 
City of Lovt^ell, to be by it preserved in its Pviblic 
Library or other suitable building; provided, 
however, if said city shall not so accept said prop- 
erty, this corporation may, for the purpose of 
dissolution, by the vote of three-fourths of its 
members, assign, transfer, and convey said prop- 
erty so received and held by it to some other 
historical society in said Lowell, or within the 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by which said 
property may be preserved for the benefit of the 
public ; and provided, further, that the librarian, 
by the authorization of the executive committee, 
may from time to time exchange or sell any du- 
plicate copies of such books, maps, newspapers, 
magazines, and pamphlets of this Society, which 
may come into its possession, and any personal 
property not appropriate to its library or cabinet. 

Sect. 2. All books, records, papers, and vouch- 
ers, used and received by any officer of this 
Society in connection with its affairs, shall be and 
remain the property of the Society, and be de- 
livered to his successor in office. 



ARTICLE III. 

MEMBERSHIP. 

Section 1. The Society shall be composed of 
resident, life, corresponding, and honorary mem- 
bers. Resident and life members only shall be 
eligible for office, or be entitled to vote, or to 
take part in the business of the Society. 

Sect. 2. Any person, male or female, twenty- 
one years of age, resident in Lowell or in the 
adjacent towns of Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, 
Dunstable, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, or West- 
ford, may become a resident member of this 
Society. 

Sect. 3. Application for membership in this 
Society shall be made in writing, accompanied 
with the admission fee, and referred to the execu- 
tive committee; if approved by a majority of 
said committee, election shall be by ballot at any 
meeting of the Society. 

Sect. 4. If any person elected a resident mem- 
ber shall neglect for three months, and if any 
person elected an honorary or corresponding 
member shall neglect for six months after notifi- 
cation of his election, to accept his membership 
in writing, such election shall be void. 

Sect. 5. All members of The Old Residents' 
Historical Association of Lowell are hereby de- 
clared to be members of this Society, provided 



they shall subscribe or assent in writing to these 
by-laws before July 1, 1902. 

ARTICLE IV. 

FEES AND DUES. 

Section 1. Each resident member shall pay 
two dollars into the treasury at the time of his 
admission, and two dollars as annual dues on the 
first day of each July following one year from 
the date of his admission. 

Sect. 2. If such member shall pay into the 
treasury fifty dollars in addition to his previous 
payments, he shall thereby become a life member 
and be thereafter exempted from the payment 
of annual dues. 

Sect. 3. All receipts from life-membership 
payments shall be invested and held as a fund, and 
the income only thereof be used for the general 
purposes of the Society. 

ARTICLE V. 

withdrawal FR03I MEMBERSHIP. 

Section 1. Any member may ^\'ithdraw from 
the Society at any time, by sending his written 
resignation to the recording secretary, and pay- 
ing all dues. 



Sect. 2. Any member may be expelled for 
non-payment of dues, or for any other cause, at 
any meeting of the Society, upon the recom- 
mendation of the executive committee by a three- 
fourths vote of its members, ten days' notice in 
writing of such meeting and its purpose having 
been first given to such member. 

ARTICLE VI. 

MEETINGS AND QUORUM. 

Section 1. Regular meetings of the Society 
shall be held in its rooms on the second Wednes- 
days of February, May, October and December 
of each year, at 7.30 o'clock p. 31. 

Sect. 2. The regular meeting in February of 
each year shall be the annual meeting of the 
corporation, for the election of officers and the 
transaction of any other business which may 
legally come before it. 

Sect. 3. Special meetings of the Society shall 
be called by the recording secretary, or in case 
of his absence or inability, by the corresponding 
secretary, at the request of the president, or of 
the executive committee, or at the written re- 
quest of not less than five members of the Society. 

Sect. 4. Written or printed notice of all meet- 
ings shall be sent by mail by the secretary to all 
resident and life members of the Society five 



days at least before the meeting, which notice 
shall briefly state the business to come before the 
meeting. 

Sect. 5. Nine members shall constitute a quo- 
rum for the transaction of business, but a less 
number may adjourn. 

ARTICLE VII. 

ORDER OF BUSINESS. 

At all meetings of the Society the order of 
business shall be as follows, unless otherwise 
ordered : 

First. Reading of the records of the preced- 
ing meeting. 

Second. The report of the corresponding sec- 
retary. 

Third. The report of the treasurer. 

Fourth. The report of the librarian. 

Fifth. The report of the executive committee. 

Sixth. The election of members from appli- 
cants approved by the executive committee. 

Seventh. At the annual meeting, the election 
of officers and action on matters included in the 
call for the meeting. 

Eighth. At special meetings, action on mat- 
ters included in call for the meeting. 

Ninth. The reading of papers. 

Tenth. The unfinished business and the assign- 
ments of the last meeting, taken up in their order, 
and the transaction of other business. 



ARTICLE VIII. 

OFFICERS . 

Section 1. The officers of the Society shall be 
a president, a vice-president, a recording secre- 
tary, who shall be the clerk of the corporation, a 
corresponding secretary, a treasurer, and a libra- 
rian, all of whom shall be elected by ballot at 
the annual meeting, and shall hold their respec- 
etiv offices for one year and until others are 
are elected in their stead. 

Sect. 2. The foregoing officers, with six other 
members to be elected by ballot at the annual 
meeting for the term of one year, shall constitute 
the executive committee of the Society. The 
president shall be the chairman, and the record- 
ing secretary shall be the clerk, of the executive 
committee, and each member of the committee 
shall be entitled to one vote. The eldest in point 
of service of said six members of the executive 
committee shall not be eligible for re-election 
until the expiration of one year, at least, after 
the expiration of his term. 

Sect. 3. Vacancies in said offices or in the 
executive committee shall be filled by election 
by ballot for the unexpired term, at the regular 
meeting next following the occurrence of such 
vacancy, or at a special meeting called for that 
purpose, but vacancies in said offices may be filled 



temporarily by the executive committee until 
such election. 

Sect. 4. Immediately after the adoption of 
these by-laws the above officers and members of 
the executive committee shall be elected by 
ballot, and shall hold their respective offices until 
the annual meeting on the second Wednesday of 
February, 1903, and until others are elected in 
their stead. 

ARTICLE IX. 

THE PRESIDENT. 

The president shall be the chief executive officer 
of the Society. He shall preside at all its meet- 
ings and at those of the executive conunittee, 
and shall exercise a general supervision of the 
Society's affairs, subject to the directions of the 
executive committee. 

In the absence of the president the vice-presi- 
dent shall preside. 

ARTICLE X. 

THE RECORDING SECRETARY. 

Section 1. The recording secretary, or in case 
of his absence or inability, the corresponding sec- 
retary, shall call all meetings of the Society and 
of the executive committee as herein provided. 

Sect. 2. He shall attend all meetings of the 
Society and of the executive committee, and 
shall keep an exact record of the same. 



Sect. 3. In the absence of the president and of 
the vice-president, he shall, if present, call the 
meeting to order and preside until a president or 
chairman pro tempore is chosen. 

Sect. 4. He shall keep a correct record of the 
names and addresses of all members, alphabeti- 
cally arranged, in a book kept for that purpose. 

ARTICLE XI. 

THE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. 

Section 1. The corresponding secretary shall 
notify all persons of their election as members, 
and send to each a copy of the by-laws. 

Sect. 2. He shall conduct all correspondence 
of the Society not otherwise provided for, and 
shall preserve all letters received and copies of 
all letters sent. 

Sect. 3. He shall read at every regular meet- 
ing the communications he has received since the 
last meeting. 

ARTICLE XII. 

THE TREASURER. 

Section 1. The treasurer shall collect and re- 
ceive all money due to the Society, and be the 
custodian of its funds. He shall pay all bills 
which have been first approved in writing by the 
executive committee, and shall keep full and 



regular books of account which with his vouchers 
and invested funds, shall at all times be open to 
the inspection of the executive committee. At 
the annual meeting he shall submit a Avritten re- 
port of all his doings for the preceding year and 
of the financial condition of the Society, but no 
report of the treasurer shall be received which 
has not been approved by the auditor appointed 
by the executive committee. 

Sect. 2. When required to do so, he shall give 
bonds to the satisfaction of the executive com- 
mittee for the faithful performance of the duties 
of his office. 

ARTICLE XIII. 

THE LIBRARIAN. 

Section 1. The librarian shall have charge of 
all the property of this Society mentioned, de- 
scribed, and referred to in article second of these 
by-laws. 

Sect. 2. He shall properly arrange and keep 
said property in such place as may be designated 
by the executive committee, and shall cause a 
catalogue thereof to be made, which he shall re- 
vise and correct from time to time as occasion 
demands. 

Sect. 3. No book or other article in the custody 
of the librarian shall under any circumstances be 



loaned or removed from the rooms of the Society, 
and he shall be held accountable for the safe 
keeping of the property in his custody. 

Sect. 4. He shall acknowledge every gift which 
may be made to the Society for its library or cab- 
inets, and shall at all times do whatever is in his 
power to increase and preserve the collections in 
his care. 

Sect. 5. At the regular meetings he shall re- 
port all accessions made to the property in his 
charge since the last meeting, and shall report 
at the annual meeting upon the condition and 
needs of the library, and shall furnish a detailed 
list of all gifts received during the year and the 
names of the doners. 

Sect. 6. He may have an assistant, appointed 
by the executive committee, who shall aid him 
and the other officers of the Society in the per- 
formance of their duties, who shall receive such 
compensation therefor as the executive committee 
may determine. 

ARTICLE XIV. 

the executive committee. 

Section 1. The executive committee shall 
superintend and conduct the prudential and execu- 
tive business of the corporation ; establish rules 
for the transaction of their own business ; receive 



and report to the Society all applications, resig- 
nations, and forfeitures, with a statement of their 
recommendations thereon; provide all printed 
forms and books of record ; appoint such subor- 
dinate officers or agents as they deem necessary ; 
make all rules and regulations for the use of the 
library and rooms of the Society ; and see that 
the by-laws are complied with. 

Sect. 2. They may annually upon organization, 
appoint for a terra not exceeding their year of 
office, and prescribe the functions of, such com- 
mittees of their number, or of the members of 
the Society, as they may deem expedient to facil- 
itate the administration of the Society's aifairs. 
They shall so appoint a finance conunittee ; a com- 
mittee of the library ; and a committee of mem- 
bership. 

Sect. 3. They shall report at every meeting of 
the Society, such business as they may deem it 
advisable to present, and at every annual meet- 
ing they shall present a detailed report of the 
affairs and condition of the Society since the last 
annual meeting. 

Sect. 4. They shall keep exact records of all 
their meetings, which shall always be open to the 
inspection of any member of the Society. 

Sect. 5. At all meetings of the executive com- 
mittee, five members shall constitute a quorum 



for the transaction of business, but a less number 
may adjourn. 

ARTICLE XV. 

THE COHPORATE SEAL. 

The seal of the corporation shall be a circle 
with the words " Lowell Historical Society " en- 
closing the words " Incorporated 1902," and may 
be impressed upon any instrument by the proper 
officer of the Society. It shall be in the custody 
of the recording secretary. 

ARTICLE XVI. 

AMENDMENTS. 

Section 1. No alteration shall be made in 
article two of these by-laws. 

Sect. 2. Any other article of the by-laws may 
be altered, amended, or repealed, at any meeting 
of the Society by vote of two-thirds of its mem- 
bers present and voting; provided, a written 
recommendation of such change, signed by at 
least five members, shall have been given at a 
previous meeting, and entered on the records, 
and the proposed alteration, amendment, or re- 
peal, is inserted in the call for the meeting. 



No. 9SSS. 

eotnmonwcdltb of ma$$acbu$etf$. 



Be it known^ that whereas Solon W. Stevens^ 
Albert L. Bacheller, Horace S. Bacon, Frederick 
Laioton, Charles A. Stott, Jacob B. Currier, Alex- 
ander G. Cumnock, Alfred P, Sawyer, John A. 
Bailey, Samuel P. Hadley, Charles Cozvley, 
Edward Ellingwood, James W. Bennett, and 
Greenleaf C. Brock, have associated themselves 
with the intention of forming a corporation under 
the name of the 

Lowell Historical Society, 

for the pttrpose of collecting and preserving books, 
manuscripts, records, and objects of antiqua7-ian 
and historical interest; of encouraging the study of 
local history; of maintaining a library; and of 
publishing from time to time whatever may illus- 
trate and perpetziate the history of Lowell and 
adjacent towns. 

And have complied with the provisions of the 
statutes of this Coinmonwealth in such case made 
and provided, as appears from the certificate of the 
proper officers of said corporation, duly approved 
by the Comtnissioners of Corporations, and recorded 
in this office. 

»4 



f^OWf therefore^ /, William M. Olin, Secj-e- 
tary of the Commomvealth of Massachusetts, do 
hereby certify that said Solon W. Stevens, Albert 
L. Bacheller, Horace S. Bacon, Frederick Lawton, 
Charles A. Stott, Jacob B. Currier, Alexander G. 
Cumnock, Alfred P. Sazvyer, John A. Bailey, 
Samuel P. Hadley, Charles Coivley, Edward 
Ellingxvood, James W. Bennett, and Greenleaf C. 
Brock, their associates and successors, are legally 
organized and established as, and are hereby made, 
an existing corporation under the name of the 

LOWELL HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 

zvith the powers, rights, and privileges, and subject 
to the limitations, duties, and restrictions which by 
lazi) appertain thereto. 

mi tUCSS '»iy ' officia I sign a tu re 
hereunto sttbscribed, and the 
seal of the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts hereunto af- 
fixed, this twenty Jirst day 
[co^mJ^omvSlth] of May, in the year of our 

Lord one thotts and nine hun- 
dred and two, 

WM. M, OLIN, 
Secretary of the Commomjuealth. 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



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